Worlds Collide
by msjgatsby
Summary: Sometimes work follows you home.


**Author's Note:** Why? Because apparently Mike's getting a new love interest next season, and I'm interested to see third party perspectives of Mike and Paige. I had a longer version of this, but I think I'm just going to post the first half because the second part is mostly smut and very little plot. I did want to post this quick little piece at least. As always, trying to keep in canon. From what I've read Vera Walker is going to be Mike's new boss/love interest.

* * *

It is seven-twenty AM and Vera Walker was not happy. Her protege is irresponsible, unprofessional and lazy. She was told when she was assigned Mike Warren, that he was the rising star of the bureau, this wonder agent. True, he had proven to be bright, talented, and god knows handsome, but right now she wants to throttle him.

She has been at the bureau since five AM, and she hasn't seen him there. He's probably still asleep. Technically working hours don't start until nine AM, but if he was the bright overachieving prodigy everyone claimed he was, he would have realized that nine was a time for slackers. For hardworking exceptional FBI agents like herself, and by extension him, nine AM is just not acceptable.

He didn't answer his phone at seven AM, so now Vera is driving over to Graceland, to drag him out of bed by the ear and read him the riot act along with his briefing. She sits in her car once she arrives and puts on a fresh coat of lipstick and checks her hair.

Vera pushes down the nagging suspicion that her anger this morning may not be about Mike being lazy. Perhaps her anger comes more from the fact that it's been two days since the two of them went out for an afterwork drink, and ended up in bed together, and he hasn't called. Up until that night Vera had gone over a year without sex, and the young agent was so handsome and damn talented that she had broken her own rule about not sleeping with other agents.

She had been a mess the next day after the two had awkwardly parted. She had been jumping everytime her phone buzzed. Vera was not this girl. She was a strong independent successful FBU woman. Vera is the top of her field. She is technically Mike's boss, and she doesn't know why men are so intimidated by women in power. That had to be why he hadn't called. Why hadn't he called?

She pushes the nagging voice in her head that she's rubbish with men down. She is a confident successful FBI agent. He is a newbie agent, who's so green he got placed at Graceland fresh out of Quantico, went to DC and then came back here. Probably because he couldn't cut it in DC. So it should be him who is feeling like a screw up, not her. She is right and he is wrong. With this in mind she steps out of the car, smooths down her grey business skirt and blazer and marches into the doors of the Graceland house.

Walking into the open area, she heads towards the stairs when she hears voices in the kitchen. The voices sound teasing and light, laughter ringing through the air. There sitting on a stool is Mike, next to a blonde girl who Vera thinks she might have seen around the station, but she's sure isn't FBI.

Mike is wearing running shorts and a tight t-shirt. His normally carefully gelled hair is tousled, and the stubble on his face tells her he hasn't shaved yet. The girl beside him is sitting in the shortest shorts she's ever seen, with a billowing large male dress shirt revealing a bikini underneath. The two are leaning awfully close, a box of cereal and two bowls on the counter between them.

Vera stops in her tracks when she hears a noise she's never heard before; Mike laughing.

It's not the short sarcastic laugh he gives when someone says something stupid, but a real laugh. It is almost a giggle. It's strange. He seems relaxed and calm, not even aware that someone else has entered the room.

Whenever Vera's seen Mike before he's always alert to his surroundings. He is always on, and prepared for anything. Yet there he is, sitting on a stool, leaning in conspiratorially with the blonde girl. The two are chatting and laughing back and forth. Vera can do nothing but stand back and observe the two lost in their own little world, talking so quickly and quietly she can't even process what they're saying. Again Mike laughs.

When most people laugh, their head falls back and they lean backwards with it, but not Mike. Mike's head falls forward and he leans in front of him, all white teeth and delight. His sparkling blue eyes seem enraptured by the girl in front of him. The girl is smiling an equally large grin, mirroring his mirth. It is far too early in the morning for anyone to be as happy as those two and Vera suddenly feels like she's interfering in a very intimate moment where she does not belong.

It's the girl who notices Vera standing in the living room first. The girl, Peggy or Pam or something, sees her and her smile changes into an amused smirk. She pops a piece of fruit into her mouth and pokes Mike, alerting him to the fact they have company.

Mike turns in his seat and sees Vera standing there awkwardly. To his credit his smile doesn't fade, but he doesn't have the same sparkle in his eye Vera saw earlier.

"Hi." Mike says, his good mood seems to stay with him. "Is everything alright? Do you want some coffee or something?"

"Agent Warren do you know what time it is?" Vera growls between gritted teeth. She refuses to turn and flee. She will stand her ground.

"Um," Mike looks down to his wrist, but isn't wearing a watch. The blonde holds her delicate wrist out to him, and he lightly takes her hand, turning her arm so he can see her watch. "It's 7:30. I thought we were meeting at the station at nine. Did I miss a memo?"

"If you had checked your phone you would have seen that I wanted to run over some of the logistics before we got started today." Vera said in a short clipped voice. She's not fond of the fact Mike has not let go of the girl's wrist which is now resting on his knee. Vera is going to check out this girl's file the second she gets back to the bureau.

"When did you call?" Mike asks, seeming confused, but not distressed.

"An hour ago." Vera says shortly.

"Oh, sorry, I was out for a run and didn't take my phone." Mike says casually. He's not sounding too troubled. The blonde girl shoots him a teasing look, and the two seem to share some silent conversation about some inside joke. Vera clears her throat, interrupting it.

"Agent Warren, when you're working for me I expect you to keep your phone on you at all times."

"Uh-oh. Looks like you're in trouble." The girl sings in a singsong voice, "I think that's my cue to leave."

"Yeah, I'll see you later tonight. Good luck today." Mike says, leaning back into the casual hug goodbye the girl gives him from behind.

"Trust me, with the dress I've picked out, I won't need luck. I may need cut out of it later though." The blonde makes a silly face at him, and Vera begins to wonder if she's become invisible. She is a high ranking FBI officer, the girl could show some respect and professional decorum.

"Yeah, well just the same. Be safe." Mike's eyes follow the blonde girl's retreating silhouette out the door, before he finally turns his attention to Vera.

"So what's going on? I was just about to shower and head out to the station for the meet at nine."

"Who is that girl and what's going on with you two?" Vera asks bluntly.

"Are you asking as my boss or are you jealous?" Mike asks, standing up to take his and the girl's dishes to the sink.

"No, I'm not jealous!" Vera denies a little too quickly. She doesn't have anything to be jealous of. She's just as attractive, and far more accomplished than that mere field agent. From the looks of her, she's probably a bimbo anyways, and she should button up her shirt. She would hope Mike would be mature enough not to be into that party girl act.

"Well as my boss it's really none of your business, but as a woman who I went out with last Friday... nothing. We're just roommates. Besides, she's got a boyfriend." Mike says, making it clear with his voice he doesn't for a second believe Vera's not jealous, and he's not going to put up with drama. She curses him for making her seem like she's in the wrong here for asking a simple question.

"Is she the reason you didn't call?" Vera is still not satisfied with Mike's answer. "Because if you're seeing someone else, we can forget about what happened the other night."

"I was playing by the rules. Aren't you supposed to wait three days?" Mike says calmly, and something about his calm voice makes Vera feel stupid for overreacting. "Listen I really have to get showered if I want to make it to the station on time, but we can go out tonight after the operation and grab a drink and talk if you'd like."

"Ok. Fine. Yes. We can do that." Vera is shocked, and thank god she's good at work because she really is rubbish with romance.

"I will see you at the station then." Mike says smoothly, before teasingly adding, "Unless you think I need some supervision in the shower."

"I will see you at the station Agent Warren." Vera turns on her stiletto and marches back to her car with a satisfied blush on her cheeks.


End file.
